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Josh Hokit and Derrick Lewis Skip UFC Freedom 250 Lincoln Memorial Press Conference
The UFC excluded Josh Hokit and Derrick Lewis from the June 14 event’s White House press conference. The decision follows Hokit’s removal from a prior stage appearance.
Jun 6, 1:01 PM·1m read1 source
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Josh Hokit will not attend the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at the Lincoln Memorial. Hokit and Derrick Lewis are the only fighters on the card absent from the attendee list. The event is scheduled for June 14, 2026.
Dana White stated he is not a fan of Hokit’s antics but credited him for standing by his words. Hokit was physically removed from the stage at the White House press conference that preceded UFC 328 in Newark. Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira came close to fighting Hokit during that appearance.
Hokit secured his spot on the UFC Freedom 250 card after President Trump personally asked Dana White why he was not included. President Trump added Derrick Lewis to the card at the last minute. Hokit’s manager instructed him to stop joking around in interviews and to be more serious.
“You see a calm guy at the moment. My manager said I need to be serious in interviews,” Hokit said. ” He stayed out of character throughout an interview with Chael Sonnen on June 5, 2026. The UFC has not issued a public explanation for the exclusion.
Com reported that the promotion is unwilling to repeat the earlier disruption at the Lincoln Memorial with Secret Service present.
